In recent years, image forming apparatuses such as a copying machine, a printer, and the like popularly use a two-sided copying function, reduced-scale layout function, staple function, and the like. Conventionally, such image forming apparatus executes the two-sided copying function, reduced-scale layout function, and staple function, and the like in a predetermined direction.
However, in the prior art, troubles shown in, e.g., FIGS. 3A to 3F or FIGS. 4A to 4D have occurred. FIG. 3A shows an example wherein originals are copied on both surfaces of an output sheet so that the longitudinal direction of the sheet agrees with the up-and-down direction, and FIG. 3B shows an example wherein originals are copied on both surfaces of an output sheet so that the longitudinal direction of the sheet agrees with the right-and-left direction. In the case of left binding (horizontal binding), no problem is posed, but in the case of top binding (vertical binding), images on the front and back surfaces are turned upside down. This is because the sheet is inverted to have its long side as an axis. Note that vertical binding is the way of binding output sheets along their short sides, as shown in FIG. 4C, and the horizontal binding is the way of binding output sheets along their long sides, as shown in FIG. 4D.
FIGS. 3C to 3F show examples of a reduced-scale layout called a 4-in-1 layout. In this reduced-scale layout, one page is reduced to xc2xd in both vertical and horizontal directions, and one output page is made up of four pages of originals. The positions of the individual original pages are fixed, and the layout of the output page is determined in correspondence with the reading order of originals. In the layout, original pages are normally arranged in the order of upper left, upper right, lower left, and lower right positions when the output page is viewed in the vertically elongated position. FIG. 3C shows an example wherein originals whose longitudinal direction agrees with up-and-down direction are copied in a 4-in-1 layout. In this case, if originals are horizontally written ones, no problem is posed. However, if originals are vertically written ones such as Japanese newspapers, the individual originals are copied at unnatural positions. FIG. 3D shows an example wherein the same originals as in FIG. 3C are placed on the platen of the copying machine upside down, and the obtained copy is definitely unnatural. FIG. 3E shows an example wherein originals whose longitudinal direction agrees with the right-and-left direction are copied in a 4-in-1 layout. If originals are vertically written ones, the obtained copy is normal, but if they are horizontally written ones, the obtained copy becomes unnatural. FIG. 3F shows an example wherein originals are read in a direction opposite to that in FIG. 3E, and the obtained copy has definitely unnatural positions.
FIGS. 4A and 4B show two-sided copies in the reduced-scale layout. FIG. 4A shows a case wherein the longitudinal direction of the output sheet agrees with the up-and-down direction. In this case, if originals are horizontally written and copies are horizontally bound, no problem is posed. However, if copies are bound at their top side, the image on the back page is upside down upon turning over the page. FIG. 4B shows a case wherein the longitudinal direction of the output sheet agrees with the right-and-left direction. If copies are bound at their top side, the image on the back page is upside down, and is clearly unnatural.
As described above, since the two-sided copying and reduced-scale layout of originals are done in a predetermined direction of the output sheet, troubles occur when the user binds copies in a desired direction or the copies are stabled at a predetermined position.
The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and has as its first object to provide an image forming apparatus and method, which can form output images by re-laying out read original images in accordance with the designated layout.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus which can reduce layout errors.
In order to achieve the first object, an image forming apparatus according to the present invention comprises the following arrangement.
That is, there is provided an image forming apparatus for forming a read original image on an output medium as an output image in a designated layout, comprising:
layout designation means for designating a layout;
image reading means for reading an original image as an image signal;
variable magnification-storage means for magnification-varying the image signal at a desired magnification and storing the magnification-varied image signal; and
image forming means for forming an image in the layout designated by the layout designation means on the basis of the image signal stored by the variable magnification-storage means.
In order to achieve the first object, an image forming method according to the present invention comprises the following arrangement.
That is, there is provided an image forming method for forming a read original image on an output medium as an output image in a designated layout, comprising:
the variable magnification-storage step of magnification-varying an image signal read from an original image at a desired magnification and storing the magnification-varied image signal; and
the image forming step of forming an image in a designated layout on the basis of the image signal stored in the variable magnification-storage step.
It is the second object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus and method, which can form a plurality of original images obtained by reading a plurality of originals on a recording medium in a practical layout.
In order to achieve the second object, an image forming apparatus according to the present invention comprises the following arrangement.
That is, there is provided an image forming apparatus for reading a plurality of pages of originals, and forming a plurality of original images corresponding to the read pages on a recording medium, comprising:
designation means for designating directions of the plurality of original images; and
control means for controlling forming positions and directions of the plurality of original images on the recording medium on the basis of designation results of the designation means.
In order to achieve the second object, an image forming method according to the present invention comprises the following arrangement.
That is, there is provided an image forming method for reading a plurality of pages of originals, and forming a plurality of original images corresponding to the read pages on a recording medium, comprising:
the designation step of designating directions of the plurality of original images; and
the control step of controlling forming positions and directions of the plurality of original images on the recording medium on the basis of designation results in the designation step.
It is the third object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus and method that can realize a natural reduced-scale layout, and a two-sided copying and stapling function independently of the directions of originals placed on a platen.
In order to achieve the third object, an image forming apparatus according to the present invention comprises the following arrangement.
That is, there is provided an image forming apparatus for visually outputting an image signal obtained by scanning an original, comprising:
means for extracting a text region in the original from the image signal;
means for detecting a reading direction of a character line in the original from the extracted text region; and
means for performing predetermined image processing of the image signal in accordance with a designated image processing mode on the basis of the detected reading direction,
whereby the image signal after the image processing is visually output.
In order to achieve the third object, an image forming method according to the present invention comprises the following arrangement.
That is, there is provided an image forming method for visually outputting an image signal obtained by scanning an original, comprising:
the step of extracting a text region in the original from the image signal;
the step of detecting a reading direction of a character line in the original from the extracted text region;
the step of performing predetermined image processing of the image signal in accordance with a designated image processing mode on the basis of the detected reading direction; and
the step of visually outputting the image signal after the image processing.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the figures thereof.